Maryland Light Dragoons History

1st Cavalry District (1st Reg) (LtCol Frisby Tilghman) American Blues/Hagerstown Cav (Capt Jacob Barr) Hagerstown. Photo of original jacket.
- Washington Hussars (Capt Edward Williams) Washington Co.
- Captain Cost's Troop (Capt Christian Cost) Wash & Frederick Co.
- Alleghany Troop (?) (Capt tbd) Alleghany Co.
1st Cavalry District (2nd Reg) (LtCol Henry Kemp) Captain Fulton's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Johnson's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Philpot's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Phillips' Troop (?). Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Taylor's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Thompson's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- Captain Hall's Troop. Wash & Frederick Co.
- (Some of these are likely duplicates, especially Fulton's and Phillips' are likely the same troop, with Fulton having relieved Phillips.)
2nd Cavalry District (LtCol Joseph Cross) Bladensburg Troop of Horse (Capt John Herbert) Montg & PGeorge Co.
- Captain Winsor's Troop. Montg & PGeorge Co.
- And possibly others yet undiscovered
3rd Cavalry District (LtCol Lewis Duvall) Captain Carcaud's Troop. Calvert & AArundel Co.
- Captain Hammond' Troop. Calvert & AArundel Co.
- Captain Mackall's Troop. Calvert & AArundel Co.
- Captain Hall's Troop. Calvert & AArundel Co.
4th Cavalry District (LtCol unknown)
- Captain Forrest's Troop. Chas & StMarys Co.
- Captain Nath'l Causin's Troop. Chas & StMarys Co.
- Captain Stonestreet's Troop. Chas & StMarys Co.
- Captain Gerald Causin's Troop. Chas & StMarys Co.
5th Cavalry District (LtCol James Blays) Independent Light Dragoons (Capt Hehu Bouldin) Baltimore City.
- 1st Baltimore Hussars (Capt James Sterett) Baltimore City.
- Maryland Chasseurs (Capt James Horton) Baltimore City.
- Fells Point Light Dragoons (Capt John Hanna) Baltimore City.
6th Cavalry District (LtCol Nicholas Ruxton Moore) Captain Walter's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Chenoweth's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Stansbury's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Caman's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Gerard Wilson's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Henry Wilson's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Snowden's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Captain Bosley's Troop. Baltimore Co.
- Possibly some of these are duplicates due to relief of commanding officer, only four troops originally authorized but possibly more. Prob 6 total.
7th Cavalry District (LtCol/Maj unknown) Captain Smith's Troop. Harford Co.
- Captain Jenkin's Troop. Harford Co.
- Captain Lee's Troop. Harford Co.
- Captain ??? Troop. Unknown if authorized 4th troop existed.
8th Cavalry District. (LtCol James Spencer)
- Captain Wilson's Troop. Kent Co. Captain Frederick Wilson, our MdLD central impression as a representative war-raised troop that was at Caulk's Field.
- Captain Boyer's Troop. Kent & Cecil Co.
- Captain Ford's Troop. Kent & Cecil Co.
- Captain Evan's Troop. Kent & Cecil Co.
9th Cavalry District. (LtCol unknown)
- Independent Light Dragoons (Capt was Goldsbourgh once). QAnne & Talbot.
- Captain Banning's Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Captain Dickinson's Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Captain Bowdle's Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Captain Blake's Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Captain Osborn's Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Captain Godwin's (or Jones') Troop. QAnne & Talbot Co.
- Possibly some are duplicates due relief of commanding captains...but number of majors found indicate probably six troops in this district.
10th Cavalry District. (LtCol Thomas Ennalls)
- Captain Hooper's Troop. Caroline & Dorc Co.
- Captain Goldborough's Troop. Caroline and Dorc Co.
- Captain Woolford's Troop. Caroline and Dorc Co.
- And possibly a fourth yet to be discovered.
11th Cavalry District. (LtCol Ambrose White)
- Captain A.E. Jones' Troop. Somerset & Worch Co.
- Captain White's Troop (but White promoted...). Somerset & Worch Co.
- And possibly others yet to be discovered.
Most of the data for this work-in-progress on War of 1812 Maryland Light Dragoons (ie Maryland Militia Cavalry) troops is from William Marine; some from Whitehorne, DocHist, Chalmier and Ruckle. It is in a spreadsheet (with other gleaned info (first names, dates, battles and reference page numbers) developed by Michael Bosworth 2003-04 in the process of researching MdLD living history recreated unit (8th Cav, Captain Wilson's Troop).
The theory, that is initial wartime authorization, was for eleven cavalry districts, each commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, each with two squadrons commanded by a Major, each with two troops commanded by a Captain.
Each troop in theory to consist of:
- Captain
- Lieutenants (2)
- Cornet
- Quartermaster Sergeant
- Sergeants (4)
- Corporals (4)
- Farrier
- Saddler
- Trumpeteer
- And 32 private troopers.
For a total of 48 mounted horsemen.
In practice it appears that the 48 authorized per troop was hard to achieve and typical numbers per troop were 30 to 40. But Wilson’s Troop (which the recreated group particularly portrays) at least was pretty fully manned…the only unidentified billets for Wilson’s are QM Sgt, farrier and saddler to date (ie 3 out of 48). There were also often some attached mounted servants for the officers. Some districts recruited well and other meagerly, so distribution of number of troops per district was not exactly even, but something approximating four dozen troops were recruited in total, thus approaching 2000 MdLD mounted and equipped by 1814.

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